In the put-up-or-shut-up realm of Big Ten women’s basketball this season, Ohio State has remained a largely silent participant.

The Buckeyes (11-8, 1-5) are in a three-way tie for ninth place in the conference, with Wisconsin holding down the 12th spot. That would be the same Wisconsin team that stapled a 68-49 loss to the backsides of the Ohio State players and coaching staff last Sunday in Madison.

So without a Thursday game last week, silence reigned — and rightly so, Buckeyes co-captain Tayler Hill said before practice on Friday.

“You’ve just got to show it on the court,” Hill said. “I mean, talk is cheap, honestly.”

Big Ten-leading Penn State (16-2, 6-0) is next up for Ohio State today at Value City Arena. Besides practice, the Buckeyes did find time for soul-searching in the aftermath of the Wisconsin debacle.

“We needed some individual time, probably with coaches and just to ourselves, to figure out if we really want to do this or not,” said Hill, who leads the Big Ten in scoring with a 20.6-point average.

Fellow co-captain Amber Stokes was forced to the training room and the bench after suffering a sprained left knee on Jan. 6. Watching the team struggle has been tough.

“It’s been hard to watch, to not be able to practice, to not be able to play in a game,” Stokes said. “But I did a little bit (Thursday). I got into a couple of drills and did a couple of shooting drills with the guards. It’s getting there.”Penn State has replaced the Buckeyes as the top power in the conference the past two seasons.

“I think they’re just playing well as a team,” Stokes said. “The chemistry is there, and they’re working hard. With us, we have to come ready to play. This is our home court, and we’re going to have our fans here. Hopefully, that will give us a little boost.”

Last season, the Lady Lions demolished the Buckeyes 84-66 at the Bryce Jordan Center in a game that had regular-season title implications.

“Their players are playing their roles, it’s that simple,” Hill said. “We’re not really thinking about last year. This year is what we need to focus on. We’re fine as friends. We just need to find a way to execute as a team.”

The Buckeyes are 10-1 at home this season. But Illinois ended the team’s 31-game home winning streak in the same game in which Stokes was injured. Meanwhile, overtime losses at Iowa and Purdue still count as losses.

“Everybody has to play their role, and people aren’t stepping up to the responsibility,” Hill said. “That’s why we’re having problems. We’ve had talks. We’ve had meetings. It’s the simple fact that they have to want to do it.”